Master plan for La. coast multi-faceted

Friday

May 25, 2012 at 12:01 AMMay 25, 2012 at 11:37 PM

BATON ROUGE — While it’s easy to focus on local projects included in the coastal master plan the Legislature passed this week, it might be more difficult to pick apart and identify policy-related themes

Jeremy AlfordCapitol Correspondent

BATON ROUGE — While it’s easy to focus on local projects included in the coastal master plan the Legislature passed this week, it might be more difficult to pick apart and identify policy-related themes. The plan outlines 50 years worth of programming and engineering that weighs in at a staggering $50 billion. Local, state and federal money flow in and out of the complex plan, which was developed through several rounds of public hearings over the past two years. “It provides flood protection for every coastal community,” Garret Graves, the state’s director of coastal activities, told lawmakers. “No one is being left behind.” An overlooked goal of the master plan is an aggressive 30-year time line for reversing a cornerstone trend. Within this period, officials expect Louisiana will be able to boast that more land is being created than lost. When this transition is achieved, Louisiana officials will be tasked, for the first time since the 1930s, with measuring how much land is being added as opposed to the net loss. In part, this is being credited to more of a holistic approach in the plan, which must be updated every five years. Graves said hundreds of projects were reviewed and only the “best investments” were included. While the last master plan that was drafted in 2007 had a price tag of $200 billion, the latest incarnation is a quarter of the size and represents an “achievable dollar figure,” he added. For Lafourche Parish, the plan includes a new focus on protections for La. 1 through a marsh platform configuration. It’s a critical artery for the region and the nation as the only land route to and from the Gulf oilfield hub of Port Fourchon. The commitment shows a shifting focus on what’s needed to continue progress in the Grand Isle and Port Fourchon areas.For Terrebonne, parts of the plan address the increasing sustainability concerns in the eastern part of the parish and new marsh creation opportunities throughout its saltwater boundary. Many of these local efforts came as a result of the public- comment process, which Rep. Joe Harrison, R-Napoleonville, said is proof the planners “listened” and then acted on the recommendations.“This is what the people of Louisiana have been waiting for,” Harrison said during the last Senate committee hearing on the plan. “It’s action, not just words.” In regard to the synergy of both parishes, there are commitments in the plan to re-establish and maintain the barrier islands; use the Atchafalaya Basin for fresh water and sediment; and continue large-scale hurricane protection projects such as Morganza-to-the-Gulf and Larose-to-Golden Meadow.House Natural Resource Chairman Gordon Dove, R-Houma, said the continued support for Morganza is a major accomplishment, and it should be noted that the marsh creation slated for Terrebonne will help complement the massive hurricane protection project. From a political perspective, the master plan was approved by both the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and the Legislature without an opposing vote. Additionally, public opinion statewide appears to be surging with renewed optimism, according to a March poll that was funded by the National Audubon Society and sampled 801 likely Louisiana voters. The poll found 88 percent of respondents expressed “optimism” that when adequate funding becomes available, “coastal areas can in fact be saved.” It also revealed widespread agreement statewide that Louisiana’s coastal areas and wetlands are “very important” to Louisiana’s future.Moreover, 91 percent of participants statewide defined coastal areas and wetlands as “very important” and 86 percent wanted lawmakers to approve the coastal master plan. Buster McKenzie, president of Baton Rouge-based Southern Media and Opinion Research, which conducted the poll, said it helps paint a picture of where coastal needs stand in terms of state priorities. “This poll shows Louisiana voters feel strongly that our state’s coastal areas and wetlands are crucial to our future,” McKenzie said. Terrebonne Levee Director Reggie Dupre, who as a former state senator was instrumental in compiling the first master plan, suggested it may also be a sign that the state as a whole is taking more ownership of the issue. Since the federal government began studying the Morganza project 20 years ago, Dupre said not a single dollar from Washington has been dedicated. Local and state governments, however, have put in more than $200 million. “What has happened practically is the state has taken the place of the federal government,” Dupre said. “Big Brother may come and save us one day, but we don’t know when and if that will ever be.” Of course, there are critics of the plan. During the legislative debate, Jerry Holden, Ducks Unlimited’s director of conservation programs, was one of those voices. “There are specific issues with the plan that DU would like to see addressed, most notably consideration of migratory bird and private landowner focus groups as part of future framework development teams,” Holden said. He added that anyone owning a part of the coast has a “strong desire” to see wetlands sustained indefinitely, and DU feels private landowners represent a “crucial and untapped resource for plan development and subsequent implementation.”While the final passage of the master plan might be something to cheer, King Milling, chairman of the America’s Wetland Foundation, said the focus must immediately shift to Washington, D.C., where several lines of funding are being considered. “Now, we call on the federal government to act accordingly and fund key projects in the master plan to thus ensure that our coast is less vulnerable to the rising tide and the greatest continuous loss of land on the planet,” Milling said.

Jeremy Alford can be reached at jeremy@jeremyalford.com.

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